Essay (15%)
Length: 1000-1500 words
See the “Rubric” attachment below for a sense of how the assignment will be graded.
Assignment Objectives
• Distinguish between narrative and expository writing.
• Identify plot structure and story elements in a number of genres.
• Explain the conventions of typical genre and popular story-telling.
• Identify assumptions and expectations in narrative convention.
Assignment Description
This assignment asks you to identify and discuss narrative techniques in the short story “The Speckled Band,” by Arthur Conan Doyle.
Assignment Instructions
The reading for this assignment is in the public domain:
https://sherlock-holm.es/stories/pdf/a4/1-sided/spec.pdf
This assignment is called an “essay” but it does not need to adhere to the academic form commonly taught in college composition classes (a conventional structure that includes a “grabber,” a background paragraph, a thesis statement, sub-topics, and so forth). While it is the expectation that students in this course will have completed a writing course in their degree program, it is also understood that they are not English majors and are more likely to be producing business and professional writing in their careers. This assignment can best be seen as a report. You are to report on the narrative features in the story. You will, however, need to use full sentences and paragraphs, complete with topic sentences and transitions, sound logic, and accurate grammar, syntax and punctuation.
In your discussion you must address the following topics. For each, explain how it works in the story. Provide examples from the story (quote and paraphrase, and give page citation in APA format).
♣ Narrative Discourse
How is the narrative discourse distinct from the “story,” the sequence of chronological events behind the mystery and including its solution?
♣ Suspense
This is a mystery story. How is suspense created and maintained?
♣ Conflict
How does conflict function in the story? What are the conflicts? What sorts of conflicts are explored?
♣ Closure
How is surprise and resolution handled? How is the resolution prepared for before it occurs in the story?
♣ Focalization
How does the focalization work? What effects are created by this method?
♣ Evaluation
In this final, separate section you are asked to provide an opinion about the story. Is it a good story? Why or why not? In your opinion what was effective and what was not effective about it? Is a story like this relevant today? (This section should be about 100 words).
Note on Secondary Sources
The intention of this assignment is to help you develop your skills in analyzing narrative, a talent you will find aiding you in unexpected ways in your lives and your careers. Students are urged to use original thought and apply their own critical analysis, based on the background material from the readings and module notes.
You are free to use secondary research as well nonetheless, but you must document any material you research and use: list the sources you used if they shaped your argument in any way, acknowledge where you got ideas that were not your own, and quote material that is not your original wording and indicate the source. Failure to acknowledge sources is plagiarism, a serious academic offense. Consult the Academic Honesty document in the “Course Materials” folder in this course.
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